Whine and Dine

Okay so I'm a little peeved and need to get this off my chest.

I love a good beer and do enjoy going out to restaurants with my wife. Fine food, tasty beverages, what a great night out. Well no actually. Not at all unless I plan on drinking wine. Whilst there is nothing wrong with that (I love wine as much as the next person), my issue is with beer and the fact I am rarely able to enjoy good beer with a great meal in the vast majority of restaurants.

Whilst the consumption of craft beer is increasing and microbreweries and boutique beer dedicated bars are popping up around the place, the beer options on drink menus in restaurants is consistently a disgrace.

This was highlighted recently during a meal in a very good restaurant in Melbourne. We simply did not feel like wine, especially after a couple of quality beers before hand at Beer Deluxe. So, hopeful there might be a decent beer option to have with dinner I asked what beers they had available. Sadly I should have guessed:

• Carlton Draught
• Pure Blonde
• Crown Lager
• VB
• Cascade Premium Light
• Asahi
• Heineken

What a great idea. Add two recognisable foreign beers and 'everyone should be happy'. So typical of most restaurants. Why is it that when a restaurant plans a menu it takes the time to consider its wine list almost as much as the food itself; making sure various wine options and styles are considered. The restaurant in question had dozens of wine options with a pretty extensive Victorian selection. That's great. Yet putting together the beer list read like they had 30 seconds to come up with something. And its pretty much the same everywhere. I have sat in some of the best restaurants in Melbourne and been saddened at the beer options on their menu. As a beer drinker I think it detracts from its 5 star status.

How can a restaurant charge hundreds of dollars for a meal and offer up Carlton Draught (for example) as a beer option? It would be like merging Vue De Monde with McDonald's. Makes no sense to me.

Any beer enthusiast would know how well good beer can and should be matched to food. Some restaurants (such as Josie Bones in Collingwood) make the effort to ensure guests can drink excellent beer with great food, but that is such a rarity. The recent Brooklyn Brewery Degustation Dinner during Good Beer Week also showed how easily (and well) beer can be matched with food.

I understand that in a standard pub the majority of beer taps are going to be dedicated to the corporate giants. Fosters/CUB in Melbourne, Toohey's in Sydney and so on. There's various reasons why this occurs, most of them economical. But surely a restaurant has much more freedom to stock the beers they want on their menu? By all means offer Carlton Draught or Crownies if people are asking for them, but why on earth can't a selection (even a small one) of decent craft beer be on the menu? Make it regional if they like so tourists and locals get to try some of that state's finest ales. Restaurants bother doing that with wine don't they? It's good for the restaurant, it's good for the breweries, it's good for the economy...right?

But no. Restaurants continue to have a 1980s attitude that beer is a beverage best suited to pubs where cheaper is better and its primary purpose is to get people drunk. It doesn't really sit well in restaurants but the odd person (especially older, overweight males from previous generations) will probably ask for a beer with their meal because they don't drink wine, so we better stock a few generic, bland brands. But lets impress the sheila with plenty of good wine selections...

My gut feel is that the beer options in a number of good restaurants is getting worse not better. This is despite the increasing availability of good beer. Go to the website of any decent restaurant and 99% of the time you'll find the lunch/dinner menu and the wine menu. It's so irrelevant to the restaurant that the beer selection isn't even mentioned most of the time, when it could be a selling point! I've given up even checking for it on menus before going to a restaurant.

It's highly annoying that at home I know how well a Two Birds Brewing Golden Ale goes with Thai food. Or a Holgate Temptress with chocolate pudding. Or a Red Hill Imperial Stout with oysters. But that's okay, beer at a fine dining establishment seems to mean pork belly with Carlton Draught, wagyu beef with well, Carlton Draught or seared salmon with...well you get the idea. Thought I was in a restaurant not sitting at the football.

No wonder I stick to wine every time. Such a shame really...

Anyway rant over, I'm out of breath. Until next time!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Life’s too Short to Drink Bad Beer

It’s Friday 11 May 2012.

In Victoria, that means the start of Good Beer Week. How very awesome. Dozens and dozens of beer events, tastings, beer infused dinners, festivals, brewery showcases…

That said, this blog is not about Good Beer Week. That speaks for itself.

In fact this blog isn’t really about anything. You may call it the ‘Seinfeld of blogs’.

With Good Beer Week only hours from starting this seems an apt time to flog the merits of craft beer and stick the boot into bland corporate swill. Quite frankly, life is too short to drink bad beer. Seriously, just because it’s made cheap and therefore sold cheap(ish) and is widely available, does not justify drinking it by choice.

Yeah craft beer can be a little expensive. But as a beer drinker there is nothing better than exploring craft beer, trying different styles and types and learning what suits your palate. I guarantee that once you realise how nice a good IPA or Red Ale is, the thought of drinking a ‘pot of draught’ will make you reach for a red wine. I mean, did any hops even die for that beer?

Despite a drop in beer consumption in Australia over the past decade, the sale of craft beer is increasing roughly at 3% per annum. That’s a great start but could be a lot better. Australia is a good decade behind the United States in terms of the number of craft breweries, sales and how craft beer is simply a part of the local beer drinking psyche.

Not convinced you should put down that generic lager which is on tap everywhere and reach for a beer with actual taste and flavour? Well let me put it in perspective for you by comparing it to that other major alcoholic beverage that most of us enjoy…wine.

Let me set the scene. You’re partial to a wine and therefore like everyone, make the effort to know what you like. It might be Shiraz, Pinot or Sav Blanc. You also know a few wineries that you enjoy and therefore make the effort to look for them when in the bottle shop. Maybe it’s a State or a Region you trust. Either way, most people have a maximum amount they want to spend on wine but wouldn’t touch the $5 bottle just because it’s cheap, or because you see it around everywhere like it’s soft drink. You assume it will taste like vinegar, right? So why on earth do you treat beer with such discontent and accept the cheap, tasteless shit as the ‘preferred choice’? Don’t be so lazy and show a bit of respect to your taste buds!

And hey, supporting small business is cool too right? What’s more enjoyable than realising that tasty Ale comes from Bright or Mornington Peninsula? Suddenly you have a damn good excuse for a weekend away! Sell it as a romantic getaway if you have to, but just do it!

Deep breaths Todd, deep breaths.

Anyway, enough from me…see you all over a glass of tasty, flavoured beer…

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Beer - The Anticipation

Yeah okay, sounds like a corny line from a VB or Carlton Draught commercial. Or even Guinness for that matter!

Let me explain…

Enjoying good beer is a bit like looking forward to something special. Christmas morning. Carlton winning the flag. My wife’s Malaysian Chicken Curry. Being handed a briefcase full of cash. All exciting things! Gone are the days for me where drinking beer was something to do just for the sake of it.

Now I generally get excited about drinking good craft beer and seeing as I have been thinking about this for some time, I think I should try and put it in writing.

Here are some of those exciting things that I think you just don’t get with other tasty beverages. And more importantly, here’s a list! Woohoo, I love a good list…

• Beer Deluxe. If you’re a lover of good beer and you haven’t been to Beer Deluxe then I am just speechless. Yes there are some other great craft beer joints around – Mrs Parmas, The Taphouse etc but Beer Deluxe is special to me as it’s located at Fed Square in the heart of the city where I work. These days it’s my must visit place for a good beer before heading to the footy or dinner. Whilst personally there is room for more beer taps (cos I’m greedy) than what they have (or at least don’t repeat the same beer over more than one tap), I do get mighty excited knowing I’m heading to Beer Deluxe for a beer. It’s the anticipation of what they might have on tap that night.

• Purvis Cellars. Purvis is also special to me as it is my main source of drinking craft / international beer at home. Since having a dedicated cupboard for craft beer, trips to Purvis (or for that matter Slow Beer) have gotten a little bit more interesting. These days a few beers at home ‘whilst watching the footy’ means sampling the highest quality Pales, IPAs or Red Ales. Now that’s worth looking forward to!

• Brewery visit. Bridge Road in Beechworth, Bright Brewery, True South in Blackrock, Holgate in Woodend, Temple in Brunswick East, Mornington Brewery in umm Mornington, a trip to the Yarra Valley or Red Hill…is there anything more exciting than lunch and beer at a local brewery? During the dreary winter months of Melbourne unless I’m watching the mighty Blues, nothing beats a planned trip to a brewery. The anticipation literally kills me! Okay it doesn’t but you know…

• Seasonal brews. Possibly the best thing to anticipate about craft beer are the seasonal / speciality beers. For instance, here in Victoria at the moment we have Bridge Road and Mikkeller’s Dark Harvest, Mountain Goat and Mikkeller’s The Gypsy & The Goat and Temple and Weihenstephan’s Unifikator. In America, beer fans are known to queue overnight at their favourite brewery for the release of a speciality beer. Many breweries create a speciality beer to match the season such as Summer Ale or Pumpkin Ale (for Fall/Halloween) and the beers simply aren’t brewed outside those seasons. Now that’s something to anticipate!

• New Brewery / Brew. Nothing quite like the anticipated launch of a new brewery or for that matter a new permanent beer from an existing brewery that you know and enjoy. A couple I'm currently looking forward to - the second brew from Two Birds Brewing (a Red Ale to follow up the great Golden Ale) and the wider availability of beers from newbie Black Dog Brewery. Cannot wait.

• Homebrew. Oh the anticipation. Look I’m not a great homebrewer. I think it comes out alright and others seem to like the beer (or are at least very polite), but there’s nothing quite like the anticipation as the bottles sit for a month before cracking into them. At the moment a Boston Red Ale sits in the dark cupboard seductively telling me to take its top off. Anyway, I look forward to having one…

• Good Beer Week. It’s nearly here! Good Beer Week in Victoria runs 12 to 19 May 2012 with 50 events around the state. Think Comedy Festival but for beer. Cept there’s nothing funny about this. I’m heading to ‘The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular’ – where the Royal Exhibition Building will resemble a massive craft beer hall. The exciting thing is there will be 60 beers brewed specifically for the event! Unavailable anywhere else! I’m also attending the ‘Brooklyn Brewery Degustation Dinner’ at Beer Deluxe. Having been to the brewery when in New York in 2011, this one is just a little exciting too! I can barely wait!

 

Whether it’s a specific event that doesn’t come around that often like the Good Beer Week, or just stumbling across a new craft brew that you are yet to try, the anticipation with good beer cannot be denied.

And for that maybe those corny VB or Carlton Draught ads are actually right. Just a shame about the beer…

Stay tuned folks.

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

This Bushranger Knows his Beer

The minute you walk into Bridge Road Brewers just behind the main street of Beechworth you are greeted with dozens of references to Ned Kelly. Posters, signs, t-shirts. The image of ol' Ned on their beer labels isn’t by accident or coincidence.

Ned certainly adds charm to your visit. You are after all in Victoria’s high country where Australia’s most famous bushranger once did his thing. However if the brewery was actually around in the mid to late 1800s, Mr Kelly would have been a whole lot easier to catch. This place screams afternoon session. Avoiding it is…well, just stupid.

In terms of the brewery itself, you have the option of sitting inside near the bar (where you can look lovingly at brewing tanks and take in that familiar smell of a brewery) or outside in the spacious courtyard. Many ‘small’ breweries get the visiting experience completely wrong despite how good their beer is. Some are in the strangest setting such as an industrial or manufacturing area, which leaves you just a little flat. Bridge Road nails it. Beechworth itself couldn’t be a cosier town and the brewery is perfect for a family lunch, boozy afternoon or pre dinner drinks. Or all three as we did!

Quite simply it’s a damn good brew pub to visit. There’s an impressive pizza menu and leave room for one of their giant pretzels with dipping sauce. Goddamn…

One of the main highlights is the range of beer available. Whilst a lot of craft microbreweries produce 4 or 5 brews, Bridge Road puts out 7 regular beers, 3 beers under their Chevalier range and numerous seasonal / specials. Many of the regulars started out as specialty beers but simply took off and are now available all year round. That’s a credit to them in itself! Considering the quality of their beer it really is hard to believe the brewery has only been open since 2005!

With such a wide range of beers (which obviously try and appease the ‘I only drink lager so what should I get’ drinker right through to the seasoned craft beer drinker), the best thing to do first time is get a tasting paddle. Interestingly you can choose how many beers you’d like on your paddle (one, four, six, eight or ten) but we weren’t going anywhere in a hurry and certainly weren’t driving so we opted for the paddle of ten…each!

Here’s a run down of their beers –

The Regulars…

Hefe Weizen

A German styled wheat beer, this one isn’t at all bad. I’m personally not the biggest fan of wheat beers as I find they usually lack a bit of a hop kick and the banana/citrus hit doesn’t do a lot for me, but I can certainly appreciate the attempt. Would certainly go down with the giant pretzel (I wouldn’t know, the pretzel was demolished well before I tried the beer!).

Australian Ale

The brewery describes this as the perfect introduction to craft beer, and that’s exactly what it is. Think lager but with plenty of flavour, it would appeal to drinkers who are a bit ‘scared’ of most craft beers often loaded with hops and malt. A great session beer on a hot day, I suspect it sells very well on tap at the brewery!

Chestnut Pilsner

Pale and crisp the pilsner is actually brewed with local chestnuts (or so they say!). This is another beer that suits summer months and lager drinkers as it’s very approachable. I’d never tried this beer before visiting the brewery as I rarely seek out pilsners but I must say I was very impressed with this effort.

Beechworth Pale Ale

Hello hops! I would describe this pale as US in style. Full flavoured and plenty of hops like Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale or similar. Good pales have plenty of aroma and this one was stacked full of it. We ended up in a pub later that night and I found myself ordering this beer.

Bling India Pale Ale

I’m currently going through quite the ‘IPA phase’ and Bridge Road’s Bling doesn’t disappoint. Malty, hoppy, this is a big, brash IPA. Loads of aroma, IPA lovers will surely love it. Also check out their speciality (often milder) IPAs including the now widely available Galaxy IPA.

Robust Porter

First thing that hits you with this porter is the chocolate and coffee aromas. The second thing is the chocolate and coffee taste! This is a cracking Porter, which would obviously be suited to the colder months. Would go down a treat with English style pudding or as the Irish do - fresh shellfish. Bring on winter.

Celtic Red Ale

Hard to have a favourite with so many high quality beers but this one would have to come close. This also started out as a speciality beer to celebrate Beechworth’s annual Celtic festival. It’s now a staple and it’s easy to see why. Very malty, very Irish, very yummy!

The Chevalier Range…

Biere De Garde

Spicy, toffee, fruity, this is a big dark, Belgium/French style ale. A tad sweet this isn’t a beer to have to start your night! It’s a nightcap beer or would suit desserts or I’d be keen to try it with stinky cheese. Any excuse really.

Hefe Weizen Dunkel

Slightly dark in colour, this Bavarian styled brew has a strong aroma of spice, citrus and banana. Lots of banana. Goes down very smoothly…this is a quality beer even though style wise it isn’t the type of beer I’d usually go for. 

Saison

Australian microbreweries seem to have a love of Saison at the moment and this one is one of the best. Ranked #5 in the ‘Critics Choice Top 100 Beers 2011’ and you can see why. Their take on the classic Belgium ale is a real winner. Light, amazing aroma, yeasty and just a little tart. A Saison like this can be anything – food accompaniment, wine replacement. Do yourself a favour as Molly would say, and go and try this beer.

The Specials…

Far too many to mention and ever changing, a real highlight of this brewery is the range of speciality ‘one off’ beers that they produce. Pride of Ringwood IPA, Stella IPA, Summer IPA, India Saison, Dog’s Breakfast, B2 Bomber…the list goes on and on! I’d love to say more but this blog is already long enough and if I haven’t convinced you to go out and try anything (or everything) donning the Bridge Road label then I have already failed!

Admittedly Bridge Road’s beers are widely available in bottle shops that stock a range of craft beer, and often on tap in places like Beer Deluxe in Melbourne. But the 3 hour drive from Melbourne (7 from Sydney) gives you a much greater appreciation of this already impressive brewery.

Owner Ben Kraus has done a fabulous job with his beers and you just know he’s only going to get even better, which is a massive win for us craft beer lovers. Can’t wait to see what they produce next!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

A Worship to Great Beer

One of the latest microbreweries to open their doors to the public in the inner Melbourne area is Temple Brewery & Brasserie in Brunswick East.

Temple has been brewing their craft beers for a few years now (I had tried a number of their brews thanks to Purvis Cellars), however the brewery only opened up to the public in late 2011.

First impressions obviously count…and the solid timber doors with their polished ‘logo door handles’ are mighty impressive and give off an aura of class and professionalism. These guys mean business! Inside isn’t much different. Shiny new floors, mirrored rear wall (making the place look a lot bigger than it really is!), black and silver ceilings. Solid white/silver/black bar. This isn’t a rustic old ‘English style’ pub! The highlight however is the active brewery itself. If it wasn’t for the large glass wall separating the bar from the tanks and other brewing equipment, you’d think you were actually sitting in amongst it all. It’s a perfect use of the space.

A visit to the toilets is also a bit of a treat (not in any perverse kinda way)…the trip up the stairs behind the bar not only takes you past a second (secret) bar on the second floor, but at the toilet doors you get a birds eye view of the brewery. Special mention also goes to the image of the two jugs of beer on the female toilet door. I got the double meaning! At least I hope that was a double meaning otherwise now I do look like a perverse fool!

The Brasserie

Let’s quickly look at the food being dished up at Temple. When someone decides to open a brewery I doubt the food is the first thing the brewers think about. It’s the beer. Surely. But the food at Temple is in no way an afterthought. It’s good. Bloody good.

The menu includes gourmet snacks and nibbles – chicken liver pate, roasted almonds, fried potatoes, beer rarebit, olives, popcorn (yes homemade popcorn!), as well as more substantial mains such as beef chilli, pulled pork sop and goulash.

We went with the more dinner options and selected the beef chilli (‘Chilli Bag’) and pulled pork sop (‘Drowned Pork Sop’) and also munched on the Almonds (with herbs and pink sea salt) went very well with the beer.

This is a beer blog rather than a foodie blog but I do have to say the food was delicious. After travelling the US last year we both have a soft spot for pulled pork and all things chilli and these dishes were right up our alley. 

The biggest disappointment on our behalf was not trying the popcorn, but we just couldn’t manage to eat anymore. It sucked at the time but now I’m okay with it cos it just means heading back there again soon!

The Beer

As I said, the beers on offer are not as new as the establishment itself; however their range is certainly a lot wider than I had previously appreciated.

We started (like you should) with the Tasting Wheel ($12) which included five of their brews – Brunswick Draught, Bicycle Beer, Pale Ale, Soba Ale and their highly regarded Saison. Thanks to my wife’s sad puppy eyes we were also allowed to try the Midnight IPA! Bonus! 

Brunswick Draught

This is a good draught beer…very easy drinking and like most lagers or draughts made by microbreweries, has a good noticeable amount of hops and malt so you can actually taste something in the glass. Certainly suited the 30 deg weather!

Bicycle Beer

Temple’s lightest beer but isn’t especially light in alcohol (4.2%). The thing stopping it from being a run of the mill ‘lager’ is its level of tartness. I found this one really unique, which could be the ‘salt from an ancient sea bed in the Grampians’. That or they’re just taking the piss!

Pale Ale

An American style Pale Ale that is damn good. Not a lot to say really. Lots of hops and taste. If you like Pale Ales or more importantly IPAs, this is a beer you’ll enjoy. I certainly did!

Soba Ale

I tasted this half expecting some sort of Japanese noodle flavour! Whether it’s Japanese inspired I couldn’t tell. I could tell that it was a tasty, crisp ale and just a little bit bitter. I guess the wheatie taste gives it its clever name. Another good crisp brew that sits between the Pale and Bicycle in terms of lightness.

Saison

This is a cracking take on the infamous ‘Belgium farmhouse ale’. It seems every Victorian microbrewery is having a go at creating a Saison and Temple do a great version. High on aroma, faintly sour and very refreshing. Actually it’s almost too refreshing. It made me want another!

Midnight IPA

Hard to split the Pale Ale, Saison and this brew as the standouts. All three are excellent and this one is as unique as you’ll get. I’d previously tried Kooinda Brewery’s (excellent) Black IPA and this one is also fantastic. Black as stout and as hoppy as, well, an IPA…it’s a seriously good tasting beer. I wait with baited breath until this becomes more widely available!

That’s it folks! If I haven’t convinced you to head over to Temple Brewery & Brasserie sometime soon then clearly you mustn’t like beer. Or food! I certainly look forward to heading back there and sharing the place with a few friends.

Temple Brewery & Brasserie
122 Weston Street, Brunswick East
http://www.templebrewing.com.au
03 9380 8999

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Drunken Pork Tummy

This recipe for beer steamed pork belly was created when I found a few cans of lager in my fridge that someone had brought over and left. Basically I didn’t want to drink it (I think it was Toohey’s Red) and started thinking of ways to cook with it.

This just worked. I’ve made it a number of times since and never really adjusted the ingredients (other than the type of beer used. More on that later)…

The best thing? It’s one of those meals that couldn’t be easier to make, but looks (and tastes) really flash. That I like!

Okay here’s what you’ll need –

·        1kg (approx) slab of pork belly

·        1 can/bottle of light coloured beer (lager, pale, pilsner)

·        3 or 4 garlic cloves

·        Tablespoon fennel seeds

·        Teaspoon of Chinese five spice

·        ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

·        Olive oil

·        Salt

Dipping Sauce –

·        Dijon Mustard

·        Honey

·        Light Soy Sauce

Prepare the pork belly by rubbing the fat/skin with some paper towel to remove any moisture, and then rub in with your hand a few good dollops of olive oil. Then cover the skin with a healthy (I mean unhealthy) amount of salt. Make sure all the skin is covered.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a fry pan (enough so the pork doesn’t stick) and fry the pork (skin side down) for 2 or 3 minutes. Stand back cos the pork will crackle and spit like a cut snake. This should give the skin a slightly crisp look about it. Remove from fry pan and set aside.

Take a roasting tray that’s at least a few inches deep and pour in the beer, fennel seeds, Chinese five spice, cinnamon and the garlic (simply smack the cloves with your hand or base of a knife and throw them in skin and all).

Place a roasting rack in the centre of the tray and sit the pork on the rack (skin side up). The pork should be sitting just above the beer but not submerged in it. You can add more beer if the tide looks a long way out, as long as piggy isn’t wet. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the skin (don’t touch it unless you want 3^rd degree burns) and crack a tiny bit more salt over the skin as you would have lost some in the fry pan.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees centigrade and cook uncovered for 30 mins. Then reduce to 200 degrees and cook for a further 1.5 hours.

After 2 hours in the oven the pork flesh should be light brown in colour and juicy/tender, and the skin hard and crackly.

Whilst the pork belly cooks make sure you prepare the dipping sauce. Quantities will depend on how many are eating the dish but you’re basically looking at a mix of half Dijon mustard, half honey (couple of tablespoons of each) and a small dash of soy sauce.

Now whilst that’s cooking lets talk briefly about the beer. As I said, I’ve tried this with cheap run of the mill lager, home brew (pilsner, lager) or a more hop driven pale ale. Any difference can’t really be noticed which is very handy when looking through the bar fridge last minute to make it. Remember that the pork is only steamed by the beer rather than cooked in it so using different beer styles is not going to dramatically affect the finished product.

Cut into equal portions and serve with the honey mustard dipping sauce, oven roasted rosemary potatoes and green beans…or whatever the heck you like!

Whilst wine is traditionally the drink of choice when it comes to cooking with alcohol, there’s many things you can do with beer in the kitchen…whether you even like beer, or simply don’t want to drink a particular beer stuck up the back of your fridge!

Stay tuned for future instalments of Short & Stout Slurrings…which you never know, might even include other original recipes using beer!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Nice Work Bro!

Like a lot of people, I have travelled the world, worked overseas and (happily) returned to Australia. You drink the local beers of the country you’re in (at least I hope you do) and then return home hoping to find those beers. You do it cos you like them but to also relive that travel experience.

However what brothers Dave and Andrew have done is very much the fantasy of many of us beer drinking types.

After working in the US, they returned to Australia but missed American craft beers so much they decided to start a brewery and make their own US inspired beers. Stuff fantasies are based on. Or at least beer fantasies…

The first thing you notice before entering 2 Brothers Brewery is the fact it’s set in an industrial area of Moorabbin. Not the sort of area you’d expect to visit a brewery. Or at least not the type that doubles as a really cool beer hall.

The first thing you notice when you enter the brewery is the brewing equipment they have shipped in from the US (from a defunct New York brewery). In homage to the US each tank is named after a New York district – Brooklyn, Harlem, Hells Kitchen and so on. Quaint.

The other thing you notice is the size of the brewery. From the front it looks tiny; barely big enough for 20 people let alone beer making equipment. I home brew in my laundry. What on earth do these guys do? But once inside it is rather spacious. And what a great view! Behind the bar is the working brewery itself. There’s something about sitting and drinking your beer whilst looking at an active brewery brewing its brew. Hard to say. Good to do.

The brewery does basic really well. Simple $8 pizzas served on a paper plate (but bloody tasty), and what’s on tap you’re welcome to try if you ask – which is handy as they don’t actually offer a beer paddle option. We made sure we tried everything then settled on a pint of Growler to savour.

2 Brothers is well known for their numerous award winning seasonal beers such as Rusty, Voodoo, Guvnor, Terminator and so on. Being seasonal however means none were currently being brewed. Best you get for now are posters of the beers covering the walls!

Here’s a brief overview of their current brews on tap:

Taxi Pilsner

Very light coloured pilsner. Easy to drink and would go down very well during a beer drinking session on a hot summer’s day. Much more flavour than its pale light colour would suggest!

Growler

American style brown ale. You’d have to brew an American brown ale with all that American brewing equipment wouldn’t you? It’s an extremely good brown ale…malty, slightly hoppy and just a little fruity. Very much enjoyed the Growler.

Kung Foo (Seasonal Beer)

Their current seasonal beer, colour wise Kung Foo is as light as a lager but its taste is a pleasant surprise. Reminded me of numerous craft beers available in Japan, there’s a hint of lemongrass, ginger, grass…the brew is actually classified as a rice lager. Very summery, would go well with a massive plate of sashimi. Not bad at all.

Tabooki (Seasonal Beer)

Not available for tasting, however I have come across this funky named brew at a previous Fed Square Microbrewery Showcase. It’s an African Amber…unique name wise, but taste is more akin to a strong Belgium Ale (8%). Malty biscuit in a glass.

Gypsy Pear Cider

I’d say available more widely around Melbourne than any of their beers, Gypsy Cider is what a cider should be – crisp, dry but with a slightly sweet aftertaste and refreshing. A very decent microbrewery cider if you dig the pear variety.

Unfortunately the brewery is only open Thursdays and Fridays (until late), making it a little difficult to get to, but it really is worth checking out. To assist in drinking their beers, 2 Brothers offers a take home 2 litre bottle (‘growler’) filled with the beer of your choice (also an American inspired concept). As it is tapped draught beer, it should really be consumed within two weeks. Mine, filled with their Growler (no relation) was gone 2 days later. 2 Brothers can refill the growler at any time for $18 making the overall beer drinking, brewery visiting experience just that little more special. 

Now it’s just a matter of finding some time to get back there so they can refill it!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Something's Brewin' Down South

It’s difficult to get much further south in Melbourne than its bayside suburbs. If you did, you’d end up either getting pretty wet or on a boat heading to Tassie. Hence the name of Melbourne’s excellent bayside brewery; True South.

Located on Beach Road in Black Rock, the brewery is across the road from Port Phillip Bay. You couldn’t get much more beach side without actually having sand under your feet whilst drinking your beer.

The brewery itself appears to be an old bicycle or auto repair shop…or something similar. I guess I could have asked as I was intrigued but I actually liked the idea of not knowing and holding onto the thought that the building had some interesting past. The truth itself may have been something quite lame.

As this is a beer blog I will stick to writing about the beers themselves…however special mention has to go to the restaurant. So often a brewery’s food selection is basic stuff that accompanies beer. Pizzas and the like. Nothing wrong with that…nothing at all. But the Argentinean restaurant at True South is first class. It’s far from simple fare but I challenge you to find better tasting chorizo!

Okay, it’s not an inexpensive restaurant and someone hoping for a few beers and a pizza will be disappointed. Rather, it combines two great Melbourne experiences. Fine dining and drinking local craft beers. Not often you get to combine them both at the same time!

Despite drinking the odd True South beer previously, we wanted to make sure we tried every beer during our visit and therefore got the good ol’ tasting paddle. Not getting a paddle at your first visit to a particular microbrewery is not just an outrage but should be made a crime in all states and territories.

Anyway, here’s a brief overview of True South’s (excellent) beers:

Summer Ale (Kolsch)

Apparently their biggest seller, it is (like most Kolsch) pretty easy to drink. Lager like in its appearance it goes down well as it isn’t too hoppy or malty. Basically think drinking session…and that’s not a bad thing!

American Pale Ale

Tasty. Having recently been to the States it’s a really good version. Doesn’t slap you in the face with hops and bitterness as much as some do in the States, but personally has a great balance of hops, malt and bitter after taste. Was very happy with this one.

New World Pilsner

Few years ago this would have been my pick of their beers before getting a real taste for hops. As far as pilsners go it’s a good one. Bit less hoppy than some German/Czech pilsners, but I guess that’s the point with the ‘new world’ reference! I’d say it’s a very good beer for lager/pilsner drinkers.

Dark Ale (American Brown)

This is a damn good dark ale. Nice amount of sweetness (bit of chocolate/caramel) without being too desserty…which isn’t even a word! Again, I’d say a great effort for an American style ale.

Red Truck Lager

My favourite! Like being on the East Coast of America where red ales are everywhere, this bad boy goes down a treat (I note however that it’s considered a more European style red). Little bit hoppy, malty and bitter, but doesn’t taste too ‘burnt’ like a few Aussie red brews I’ve had. This is one of those beers I’ll constantly keep an eye out for; in the hope I’ll see it in bottle shops.

So that’s it folks! If you’re interested, True South also does an excellent apple cider with the catchy name Little Miss Muffet. And I mean excellent. It’s actually one of the better ciders I’ve had from a microbrewery, which is a big call considering so many are doing such good ones these days.

Only disappointment from our visit to True South which I just have to mention is the fact they were sold out of their special Clock Tower IPA. Such a shame as I’d heard good things about it. Just sounds like an excuse to keep going back in the hope they brew some more!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

God Bless America - Part II (Maine Beer Trail)

New England. It's newer than England but it’s just as bloody good. In fact for the everyday tourist I’d almost have to say it blows the old one out of the water. One of the best regions this little blogger has been lucky enough to visit.

What’s so special? There are so many things it warrants a list. Yeah that’s right, a fricken list:

-         Scenery. The foliage, the lakes, the rugged coast line. It’s a damn scenic place

-         The beer. The region is home to some of the best beers in the country

-         Wildlife. Are lobsters wildlife? They literally walk the streets of Maine. Lobster aint your thing? What about moose? They really do walk the streets

-         The beer. The region is home to the widest variety of beer styles in the country

-         Food. Seafood (esp. lobster), chowder, steaks/burgers, game. Its all there

-         The beer. The region is home to some of the best pubs serving local craft beers in the country

-         The locals. New England hospitality. They are a crazy, friendly bunch

-         The beer. The region is home to some of the best breweries and brew pubs in the country

-         It’s Stephen King country! Not your thing? What about Murder She Wrote? It’s Stephen King country!!

-         The beer. The decorative beer taps in a New England bar are a sight to be seen

-         Lighthouses. New England lighthouses. The oldest and biggest in the country. Get ya camera ready

-         The beer. Damn they have some fine tasting beers.

As you can see there is something for everyone in New England, but the above could really just apply to Maine itself. Maine is very much the amber coloured jewel in New England’s crown. As good as those lobsters are, or how novel it is to explore Stephen King’s home town (it’s not stalking alright), you’ll be disappointed if that’s what you want to read about. Go Google that stuff. This is a beer blog baby!

Lets begin with the fact that Maine has its own published Beer Trail! Thanks to the Maine Brewer’s Guild, you can get to every brewery throughout the state. We failed. We just couldn’t get to them all but man it was fun trying! 

Here are four (or so) of the highlights…

Gritty McDuff’s

Gritty’s is Maine’s first brew pub since the days of prohibition. Yeah it’s a pub, but it’s an active brewery and gets the balance between the two just right.

Location – Portland

Best Beers – 21 IPA, Red Claws Ale, Halloween Ale (yep for a pumpkin style beer Gritty’s get it just about right!)

Highlights – Views of Casco Bay from the bar, brewery shop next door

Danthonia Handcrafted Signs - Click here

Shipyard Brewing

Maine’s largest brewery but don’t let that fool you. It's English style ales and craft beers all the way.

Location – Portland

Best Beers – Export Ale, IPA, Brewer’s Brown Ale

Highlights – Free tour and tasting, the brilliant shop. Actually pretty much everything except the horrendously popular Pumpkinhead Ale. One word. Yuck. Tastes like a pumpkin's armpit.

Bar Harbor Brewing

It’s Bar Harbor’s first microbrewery, but really, you’ve just gotta love a brewery situated only a couple of metres off the main street in a town!

Location – Bar Harbor

Best Beers – Cadillac Mountain Stout, Thunder Hole Ale

Highlights – Free tastings, decent shop. But it has to be the brewery’s location!

Atlantic Brewing Company

Set in 10 acres of pine woodlands, Atlantic Brewing is one of the first things to welcome you as you leave the mainland and drive over the bridge to Bar Harbor.

Location – Bar Harbor

Best Beers – Blueberry Ale (better than it sounds!), Real Ale, Coal Porter

Highlights – Free tastings, decent shop. Real highlight was asking for and receiving free posters, labels and stickers! Very easily pleased after a couple beers I am...

Belfast Bay Lobster Ale
Okay it's not a brewery, but it is brewed by Belfast Bay in Maine and it's good shit. Real good shit. I drank a lot of its amber red goodness and therefore it deserves its own mention. Australia you officially suck for not making it available to me whenever I want it.

That’s New England folks! Or at least Maine. Hopefully I haven’t offended the brilliant city of Boston or four or five other awesome states by just concentrating on Maine. But to them I say too bad! The beer drinking experience in Maine was just THAT good it gets a blog.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Short & Stout Slurrings. Who knows what that will be about…I sure as heck don’t!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

God Bless America - Part I

Yeah that’s right. God bless America.

No, I haven’t gone all patriotic on you and listening to the Star Spangled Banner on repeat. Not at all. But credit where credit is due…

Thinking about the international beer scene, America barely springs to mind. In fact what it does do is conjure up thoughts about some of the worst big corporate beer brands out there…Bud, Coors, Miller…and all their ghastly Light versions.

However I come with good news. Do not be fooled by the above mentioned carbonated waters. Sure they dominate advertising over there, especially with American sports and in some (only some) parts of the country it feels like they are the only beers on tap. But so what? That’s no different to Fosters or Tooheys products here in Australia.

I’ve been told 40 years ago there were only 30 odd breweries in the States. Today there are over 2000. That’s some modern day explosion.

What I can say is that after a month long visit to the States I was blown away by the quality of domestic (craft) beers. Blown away.

I thought Australia was progressive when it came to craft beer. Thought the industry was pretty well advanced but admittedly with a long way to go. But no. Not compared to America. In the US, craft beer is very much part of the popular beer drinking scene. In some regions it dominates the scene. As in...there is nothing on tap but local craft beer.

Let me elaborate and ponder (i.e. make up) why that might be.

The New England region would have to be the world’s biggest hot spot for microbreweries and craft beer. Google ‘breweries in Maine’. There are dozens and dozens. Is it the fine produce, the seafood, the fact that it is dubbed America’s ‘vactionland’ and therefore visitors need to experience all things local? Maybe. But it probably has something to do with America’s largest craft brewery just down the road in Boston…Samuel Adams.

Yeah okay Sam Adams is hardly a little boutique brewery but it started out as one and even today they produce speciality, high quality ales. It means in Boston (and throughout New England) Sam Adams is the main ‘big brand beer’ and due to its success, other craft breweries are popping up hopeful of squeezing into the market. Harpoon in Boston and Shipyard in Portland are two good examples. It helps that locals are accustomed to drinking a higher quality ale and its success largely keeps the likes of Bud Light out of the region. And for that we say thank you Mr Adams.

What is truly startling in New England is the experience of walking into a pub. Not only are there numerous ‘brewpubs’ which offer a number of their own freshly brewed craft beers on tap, but so many other pubs and even restaurants specialise in local craft beers from the region. And I don’t mean having half a dozen beers on tap. I mean 80. Sometimes even more!

It’s Disneyland for a beer drinker and the experience goes way beyond the option of trying hundreds of craft beers. It’s a sight to be hold.

In comparison Australia doesn’t put a huge amount of effort into the beer tap. Pretty basic badge or logo most of the time. But not over there. We’re talking everything elaborate from boats, lobsters, moose heads, dogs, pumpkins, seals, crabs shooting hoops. Hours could be spent studying these beer taps.

 

The accessibility of the beer is wonderful too. Over here it is difficult to drink local craft beers unless bought in a bottle shop or direct from the brewery. So many good quality beers just cannot be found within most pubs/restaurants unless you head to a specialty pub that makes the effort like Mrs Parmas in Melbourne’s CBD. In New England locals get to sit and drink their favourite brew in pretty much any pub…and usually on tap. It's Bud and Coors that are available only by the can or bottle and hidden somewhere under the bar just in case someone walks in asking for it. Bliss!

In a lot of the bigger cities like New York it is a little different. The corporate beer giants are much more prevalent. Part of it is the ‘stupid’ foreign tourist thinking they should drink Bud cos they are in America. Yet still there are microbreweries popping up around the city like Brooklyn Brewery. Head to a pub in somewhere a little edgier than Manhattan like New Jersey, Brooklyn or Queens and you start to see a lot more craft beers on tap.

But that brings me to San Francisco. A gem of a city that beer wise should be on the East Coast! The beer scene is dominated by Anchor Brewing, a great brewery producing speciality craft beers. There are other microbreweries dotted around the city and beyond, however it is so refreshing seeing a local craft beer on tap in every beer drinking establishment around the city. Even San Francisco’s infamous Chinatown sells Anchor as the beer of choice…along with Tsingtao of course.

But hey things are never always that perfect.

Las Vegas? Okay lets not go there. Surprisingly there are a few microbreweries like Sin City Brewing or Chicago Brewing Company (yes it is from Nevada, it’s just a beer style thing), but for the effort to locate them, they aren’t exactly of the quality of their East Coast/Californian counterparts.

As for Texas well they do produce a few speciality brews (they do like their Amber ales such as Ziegen Bock)…but Texas Busch seems to be everywhere. And it’s not good busch at all…

The only problem with a country containing so many breweries is that many start getting a little too creative in an attempt to gain their market share. Enter American flavoured beers.

More prevalent in New England, the main offenders seemed to be Blueberry Beers and Pumpkin Ales. In Portland Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead Ale and Gritty’s Halloween Ale are two examples of drinking a glass full of pumpkin pie. An acquired taste for sure and not one I’m even close to appreciating! But I guess when blueberries and pumpkins are in plague proportions you gotta do something with it. Let’s be thankful Maine doesn’t add lobster to some of its brews!

So any beer drinkers out there who have pegged America as a bad lager drinking nation…just hold that thought and maybe organise a trip to the US. The beer drinking experience is wonderful! I for one cannot wait to return and explore more cities for their high quality beer.

That’s it folks. Next time I will go into more detail about my experiences visiting specific breweries, brewpubs and drinking local craft beers in the US. That’s if in the meantime I don’t disappear and slip back for some more of these beers.

God bless America indeed.

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Up Beer Creek with a Paddle

It’s a lump of wood often shaped like a kid’s cricket bat or a mini tennis racquet. Cut a few dents into its surface to hold a few over sized shot glasses and away we go. Instant microbrewery beer paddle!

Forget space travel or the motor car. It has to be the greatest invention of the twentieth century. Just has to be.

Think about it. You walk into a microbrewery for the very first time and you’re not that familiar with their beers, yet the first thing you have to do is decide what beer(s) to try. In very basic terms you’re looking at a range of beers from light/pale lagers/pilsners, to brown ales, to full bodied stouts.

“Hmmm, what to try? I don’t wanna stuff this up.”

Enter that sturdy lump of wood answering all your beer prayers.

I don’t know who first took a jigsaw, a slab of wood and some small glasses and invented the beer paddle, but it is pure genius.

I’ve walked into one or two microbreweries for the first time where there hasn’t been a beer paddle and I am instantly disappointed. And here are some of the reasons why:

·         Unless I’ve managed to walk to the brewery (unlikely considering the location of many), I have driven there. Therefore despite how keen I may be to try all their beers (seems only fair) I simply can’t. So why did I bother even going?! The paddle should keep you under the legal blood alcohol limit for driving and allow you to try numerous beers.

Therefore the paddle is law abiding.

·         Unless you are intimately familiar with the beers on offer, you need to know which ones are worth drinking in future. How are you going to know without the ol wooden sampler known as the beer paddle? Read a book about them? Drink 6 pints with the car outside running? I don’t think so!

Therefore the paddle is wise and all knowing.

·         Assuming you have visited the brewery with a friend or loved one you can enjoy the paddle drinking experience so much more than just ‘having a beer’. Like a true beer snob you can start with the lighter brews and work your way to the darker ones. As you go you can share your comments and thoughts of each one with your drinking partner / loved one. Brilliant!

Therefore the paddle is good for personal relationships.

·         Once you complete the sample of beers on the paddle you can then hit the bar and buy a pint of your favourite. Or as is often the case, your favourite three or four. This is far more cost effective than working through the beers drink by drink (assuming you haven’t driven to the brewery!).

Therefore the paddle saves you money.

·         If (god forbid) there are no beers really worth having after completing the paddle, then you have still completed the full microbrewery experience. You came, saw, tried EVERY beer and left. What more can you do for yourself, the brewery and even the town? How many pubs can you go in and say you drank every drop on offer? Good luck with that one!

Therefore the paddle is good for your health.

·         All good microbreweries offer simple but tasty food like wood fired pizzas. Order a couple of pizzas; slap a couple of beer paddles down and your table is pretty much hosting a party. I dare you not to stand back and take a cheesy photo with your spread in full view!

Therefore the paddle is aesthetically pleasing.

So folks. Nothing to do this weekend? Stuck for where to have a beer? Why not head to your nearest, untried microbrewery and discover the magic of the beer paddle. Might just be the best thing you’ve done!

Soon I will discuss some of the many microbreweries worth visiting out there.

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Developing a Taste for the Finer Brews in Life

A lot of people like beer, some really love it. However a growing trend is the appreciation of finer beers. What is often called ‘craft beer’. The beer produced by a small scale brewery known as the microbrewery.

I don’t think you necessarily start out loving craft beer. I’m sure some people do, but my ‘path to the craft’ was via traditional everyday beers. Just drinking tap beer or run of the mill lagers.

Bouncing between my personal favourites like Boag’s Premium and whatever was drinkable and on special at Dan Murphy’s.

But then I got bored.

Beer started tasting more and more like beer flavoured water and I started drinking red wine at most opportunities as a preference over beer. I wouldn’t say beer was dead to me, but it was dying a slow, painful death.

Thus began the trips to Dan Murphy’s staring at the shelves of beer. Having lived overseas I recognised a lot of European labels, so drinking random Belgium beers was a good start. However it was mighty expensive.

‘Hmmm, Carlton Draught is only $30 for a slab? Well okay, maybe just for one last time…’

The biggest turning point for me was finding a bottle shop that specialised in craft and hard to find ‘foreign’ beers. Enter Purvis Wine Sellers. If you live in the Eastern suburbs do yourself a favour as Molly Meldrum would say, and get to Purvis for a look. Their range is brilliant, the staff helpful, and they also do regular beer tastings including themed tasting nights. For $10 you can try a lot of different beers. If Surrey Hills is too far away, the crafty buggers have opened a second store on Bridge Road, Richmond.

But hey, I’m not a Purvis employee, nor unfortunately am I on the take so that better do for spruiking my sponsors, ummm, I mean mentioning my favourite bottle shop!

Suddenly the world really did open up. So many craft beers from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North America, Asia (well Japan)…

Whilst it is a daunting task selecting craft beers to try for the very first time (especially for a palate only used to lagers), the best thing to do is dive in and try a few different styles from different breweries. They won’t all be good. You’ll dislike some of them, but soon you’ll know what styles you like best. Then, and this is the best part, once you realise you like an Irish Red Ale (for instance), you can explore the world trying Irish Red Ales from hundreds of different breweries! I am however still trying to find one that tops Moylan’s Irish Red Ale…hmmm that’s some good shit right there.

Whilst it can be an expensive exercise, discovering and trying craft beer is like a 13 year old boy discovering the benefits of long showers…a whole new world just opens up to you. For instance, I never had an appreciation of just how many and how good American craft beer is. They cop it for the quality of their flagship brews (Bud, Miller, Cors), but their beers from microbreweries are consistently good!

And don’t get me started on Australian craft beer. The quality is improving rapidly and microbreweries are opening up everywhere, especially in Victoria. Visiting a microbrewery is a brilliant experience. Trying their selection of beers is great fun, and many combine the visit with tasty but simple food. Again, you may not like every beer you try at a microbrewery, but I reckon if there is at least one you like then that’s a successful visit cos next time you are in a bottle shop looking for something different, you can at least rely on that random Weizenbock you ‘once had at a brewery in Mornington’.   

The magic of the microbrewery is also the ‘tourism experience’ itself. Visiting a wine region is a lot of fun, but there is something about doing a day trip to a particular region or town knowing there is a brewery there to visit. I mean the Macedon Ranges are nice and Woodend is a cute little town, but the presence of Holgate Brewhouse at the top of the town just makes the place a little more magical! Even if a random visit to Woodend leads to drinking a few too many Temptress pints resulting in a panicked search for a B&B within walking distance of the brewery! Argh so grown up. Holgate Brewhouse though, go have a look!

Special mention also needs to go to Beer DeLuxe in Melbourne’s Federation Square for the exploration of craft beer. The dozen or so rotational beers on tap are well worth a look, but the real attraction is the ‘Beer Bible’ and its pages and pages of global beers. A tip however…when drinking an ale start looking through the bible for your next selection well before finishing your first. Maybe there’s too many to choose from, maybe I just can’t make a decision (shhhh Mrs Sweeney) but it does take time to select a beer (or cider!).  

 

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the occasional Carlton Draught when I’m out, especially in the right setting such as being at the footy, but craft beer is just so bloody interesting. The colour, smell, taste…its an experience itself appreciating the complexities of craft beer!

That’s it folks. Next time I will go into more detail about my experiences visiting specific breweries!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!